


Circumvenio

by PhoenixxWispp



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Dark, Eobard is a bad father, Evil!EoDaddy, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Eobard Thawne, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-19
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-11-02 17:07:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10948971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixxWispp/pseuds/PhoenixxWispp
Summary: Stripped of the Speed Force and the time he can call home, Eobard Thawne figures out the (perhaps only) way he can perhaps succeed in his plans. Then, he can finally go home and end this farce.But there is one problem. Thawne finds it rather difficult to continue hating Barry Allen as time goes on.





	1. Pilot

**Author's Note:**

> -This first chapter is more a teaser or pilot of sorts - I just want to gauge interest in Evil!EoDaddy (courtesy of @elrhiarhodan)  
> -If this ends up being something long term, it'll be around 15-20 chapters  
> -Not beta'd

The lightning that flies through his veins is shortly replaced with rage as the Flash whisks his younger self away.

His body still vibrates and his eyes still glow red, but he is now very much visible as he stands in the center of Barry Allen’s living room, his hand closing instinctively around the knife he sees in the corner of his vision. If he can’t kill the Flash, he will take his life away, piece by piece.

Nora Allen begs him.

Perhaps that’s what fuels him to make the final move, plunging the knife into her chest before racing away, her screams still fresh in his ears, a lingering song of sorts. He savors the sound of what will be Barry Allen’s _pain_.

 

…

 

The three-piece suit isn’t what Thawne would call _comfortable_ , but he feels fond of the formal demeanor and the feeling of importance it gives him. But that isn’t why he’s smiling, staring back into his reflection as he adjusts his tie.

The Speed Force might have dwindled down in his veins following his sickening defeat, but Harrison Wells’ fortunes had not. He had done the research almost immediately after Nora Allen’s death, and as his eyes skimmed over databases and profiles, slowed down to near-human speed, he knew exactly who he needed. Or rather, whose _body_ he needed.

Dr. Harrison Wells had an entirely different build than the one he was used to. While they were at the same height, where he used to be burly, Wells was wiry. It had taken days to function completely properly in the different body, lacking the muscles granted both from the Speed Force and excessive exercise, but he knew it would take months, perhaps years, to fully be comfortable in this new body.

And it was Wells’ body and wealth that was making him smile. It took some thought to come up with another plan to bring down the God almighty Flash, but when the answer came to him, it was so blatant he wondered why the idea hadn’t occurred to him before.

But for the plan to work, he couldn’t be in his own body. No...that would be too risky. But Wells? It would be believable for a genius who suffered a great tragedy to be in need of a companion. Seeking out a young boy who suffered a great tragedy as well who also happened to be quite the intellectual _was_ believable.

And that plan could finally be carried out.

In the days before he could steal Wells’ body, he had never felt more open, stripped of the Speed Force and in a time period he could barely tolerate, but, his wits were still about him. It wasn’t difficult at all to begin the adoption process of little Barry Allen before a certain Joe West could even try to. He began the process under Harrison Wells’ name, and now that he had the body and the fortune and the ripe time…

Barry Allen would be his.

 

…

 

Thawne’s problem is he can’t _kill_ Barry Allen.

The Speed Force condemned him to this barbaric time period, and after infinite amounts of subtle research showed him, Thawne knows Barry is the only way he can ever go home.

The young child sits in the back of his limousine, obviously unimpressed with the show of riches. His face bears the signs of trauma and anger, all so repressed it’s a feat the emotions even show. Thawne just barely fights off a scowl.

Some might not even have been able to see those emotions. Thawne can, though. _He_ knows Barry inside and out. He knows him. He’s memorized the way Barry looks, the way he sounds, the way he feels, the way he _smells_ . Thawne might not be able to smell the crisp scent of leather and hatred, but he can still smell _Barry Allen_ , and it makes his blood boil. He thinks he can even feel a hint of lightning appear on his skin as the intensity of his hatred summons the Speed Force in a burst, uncontrolled and brief. He looks at the child and forces a smile.

“How are you doing,” Thawne asks softly, almost slyly, attempting to get Barry’s attention. Barry looks up and gives him an almost dejected look. An unexpected flash of sympathy floods through him, similarly to the way the Speed Force came to him moments prior. But as the sympathy fades, it’s replaced with cold-blooded rage.

“Why did you adopt me?”

The question was unexpected.

Of course, no one would question the great Harrison Wells; the explanation, to them, was clear enough. But Thawne hadn’t taken into consideration Barry’s suspicions and prying, restless, infuriating, irritating, anger inducing, evil…

Thawne squeezes his hands into fists and dismisses his thoughts. He would have broken Barry’s neck right then, otherwise.

“Quite frankly, Barry, I need you,” Thawne says. It’s the truth wrapped in gold. “Tess...Tess was all I had, and with her gone...I needed a companion. I guess you needed one too. And I didn’t feel right leaving a genius like you to rot in a foster home.”

The part that bothers Thawne the most is the fact that what he just said about Tess wasn’t wrong at all. When he took Wells’ body, he took the innermost pain, the innermost fear, and the innermost love from him too. He found he _loved_ Tess after taking Wells’ body, and the reminder of that loss sends a stab of unwanted pain through him.

“Oh.”

Barry doesn’t talk much, but Thawne suspects it’d take time for him to open up. So he doesn’t press any further, sitting quietly and carefully avoiding Barry’s sharp gaze.

They arrive at the manse a good thirty minutes later, and Thawne takes Barry’s luggage himself, waving off the driver. He has to gain Barry’s trust, and most of all, his affection. Thawne leads Barry to a spare bedroom half the size of the whole first floor of Barry’s old house and helps the boy unpack.

Thawne notices Barry doesn’t have many possessions. Perhaps he owns a lot but chose not to bring much. But that fact makes the unpacking easier than Thawne envisioned. The clothes are tucked away and neatly refolded by Thawne himself to be placed in antique drawers and the few toys he owns are put on display for whenever he wants to use them.

“How would you like to go shopping with me?” Thawne purrs after a long pause following the completion of the unpacking. “After dinner, of course. You may choose whatever you like.” Barry looks up at him with wide eyes and nods slowly, his rounded cheeks giving him a more soft and even adorable feel.

“Please...Dr. Wells?...could we get some fried chicken from Vintage Seven?” He looks down at his thumbs sheepishly as they press against each other nervously. “My dad used to get some for me whenever mom wasn’t home to cook.”

Thawne feels the stab of sympathy again, but this time, it lasts longer. He echoes the nod and hurries to his computer to look up Vintage Seven’s phone number and he makes a quick order for twenty chicken tenders. When he returns and finds his voice again, he finally speaks to Barry.

“Not ‘Dr. Wells’,” he says, his throat surprisingly dry. “Please, call me Harrison.” Both names are nearly foreign to Thawne but he finishes his statement and smiles down at the child. He barely registers it as small arms wrap around his waist.

“Thank you, Harrison.”

It takes Thawne a moment to find his voice. _Barry Allen_ has his arms wrapped around his waist, his small face buried in his stomach and abdomen. Thawne finds he’s not at all annoyed by the sudden show of affection. He will admit; the beginnings of affection took shorter than he’d originally thought, but Barry was still a child. A child who’s lost everything. Of course, he’d latch onto the first person he thinks he can trust.

Thawne still feels the satisfaction in the moment, but it’s accompanied with a feeling of awkwardness. He gently reaches down to pat Barry on the back.

_Yes...Barry Allen is mine...but am I beginning to be his as well?_


	2. Pilot (pt. 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, considering that most of you seem to want more Evil!EoDaddy, I'll just put this second part of the pilot I had written out here. 
> 
> -Updates will probably be out every other day  
> -Comments are always welcome! Seeing feedback always helps me write  
> -Not beta'd

Barry Allen doesn’t open up again.

That doesn’t irk Thawne as much as the fact that he finds he _cares_. He orders the child food, whatever he wants, every day, but never again has he blinked his eyes open to see Barry’s small arms wrapped around his waist.

It takes Thawne a while to realize why, but when he does, the answer doesn’t make sense to him. Barry isn’t looking for actions of kindness. He’s looking for actions of _familiarity_.

It has been two weeks since Eobard Thawne, no, Harrison Wells adopted Barry Allen, and only two weeks later, does he realize he needs to, simply put, _talk_ to the child and create a sense of affection up front. He can’t disguise it in gifts and actions. For the young Barry Allen, he needs to use his words and state his affection and intentions.

That’s why Thawne knocks softly on Barry’s door and enters after hearing a confirmation from inside. Thawne stands in the doorway for a couple minutes, watching Barry do his homework quietly, and his every movement is slow as can be, careful not to disturb Barry. Every so often Barry’d stare up at a few pictures and that prompts Thawne to finally take a step inside to look at the pictures and talk to Barry.

The first one makes his heart beat faster - it’s of Henry and Nora Allen. The second is of Barry and a young girl he doesn’t recognize. Until he makes the connection. Joe West, the other man vying for custody of Barry Allen, had a daughter.

Erin, no, _Iris_. Iris West.

“Hello, Mr. Allen,” Thawne says softly, his gaze trained on Barry. It sounds almost like how he would address the future Flash, just with less loathing in his voice. Barry sets his pencil down and turns to look at him.

“Hi, Harrison,” he offers.

“May I sit?”

“Sure.”

Thawne moves to smooth Barry’s duvet down and takes a seat on his bed, giving Barry a meaningful look. Barry returns the look and turns his chair so he can properly look at Thawne.

“Would you like to take a walk with me?” Thawne finally murmurs. Barry blinks at him.

“Okay.”

Thawne stands up and leads Barry out of his bedroom and outside to the large garden-like area. Neither Thawne nor Barry were overtly impressed by the expanse, but they weaved through the tomatoes and the flowers nonetheless.

 _Tess would have been impressed._ Thawne dismisses the thought curtly.

“Tell me,” Thawne chuckles softly. “Do you like to run?” Barry trains his gaze on him and Thawne suppresses a shiver at the intensity of his green eyes.

“No,” he replies. “I...I’m not a good runner.” Thawne is taken aback. None of what Barry Allen is portraying himself to be is anything like the arrogant bastard he will be. He has been very compliant so far and his responses to anything Thawne says is usually short and simple. He agrees to everything and that unnerves Thawne more than anything else.

“Why don’t you tell me more about yourself?” Thawne offers, running his hand over his own jaw. “I really do want to get to know you better.”

“There isn’t much to know, Dr. We-Harrison. I-I’m just scared.”

“Scared? Scared of what, Mr. Allen. I am here to protect you.” Thawne turns and touches a forefinger to Barry’s cheek, surprisingly tender for all the hatred that pulses through his veins, even now. They pause their walk. “You know that.”

Barry turns and swallows, daring to give Thawne a hopeful look. Thawne gets on one knee and stares into Barry’s eyes as he swears, quietly and impactfully, that no one will ever hurt him. Thawne finds Barry’s nose nuzzled against his neck only a few moments later, arms wrapped around his neck this time.

And this time, there are tears.

“Thank you, Harrison,” Barry sniffles softly as the tears continue streaming down, unrelenting. Thawne is blown away every time Barry speaks to him this way, so trusting, so innocent. “Can you really protect me?”

“Yes, Barry,” Thawne vows solemnly. “I can protect you.”

“Even from the lightning man?” Thawne nearly stumbles back at that, and the only way he steadies himself is when his arms wrap tightly around Barry’s back. That was another thing he hadn’t expected to come out of Barry Allen’s mouth, and when it did, he didn’t have a response. “Please?”

“Y-yes,” Thawne says. If he was any less of an actor, his voice would have come out as a croak. “Yes, Barry, I can protect you from the lightning man.” Barry’s eyes are wide and they want to believe him.

“I trust you,” Barry gasps through his tears. “But...you believe me?”

“Believe you?”

“About the lightning man.”

Thawne feels hopeless at the moment and he responds with holding Barry tighter against his shoulder. “Yes, Barry, I believe you. The lightning man won’t ever hurt you again.”

If only that were true.

 

…

 

When Barry arrives home from the bus the next day, Thawne personally picks him up. But Barry’s not alone.

“Who is this?” Thawne asks, knowing full well the girl was Iris West.

“She’s my friend,” Barry replies. He fiddles with his thumbs. “Iris West. Is it okay if she comes over for a while?”

“Of course, Barry.” Thawne smiles at Iris and Iris smiles back. He leads the two children back to the house, and when he sneaks a look, he can see Barry noticed the drop of formalities. _Good. He is as brilliant as I...stop it._

When the enter the manse, Iris looks around in wonder at the luxurious sight, and Barry takes her hand in his own, leading her to his room with an innocent child’s laugh. Thawne watches him go, his brow furrowing.

 _I am not his father._ Thawne reminds himself. But the feeling of paternal worry still grips him as he watches Barry go, laughing with Iris.

But...in a sense, he _is_. He is, legally, Barry Allen’s guardian. Thawne shakes his head and pours himself a glass of Chateau Margaux and quietly plays some soothing opera over the speakers. He relaxes in a chair, exhausted and confused, and thinks about Barry as his eyes slip closed.

How much he hates him.

How much he wants to throttle him.

How much he wants to snap his neck right now.

How much...how much he’s beginning to care for the blasted boy.

Because this young Barry Allen, so full of pain, doesn’t lash out at him. Doesn’t hunt him down and attempt to hurt him. When he speaks, the words aren’t piercing and condescending. They aren’t arrogant and taunting.

They... _trust_ him. _Feel_ for him. _Speak_ to him. This Barry Allen and _his_ Barry Allen seemed almost two separate people, and Thawne didn’t quite know what to make of it.

 _No_. This _is my Barry Allen._

His eyes snap open and he takes his time with the rest of his expensive wine and quickly turns the opera off as the last of it is consumed. He then strides over to Barry’s door and listens in. The feeling that floods through him makes him remember back when he was only sixteen. Back when his idol was the _Flash_. Back before…

Before the Flash betrayed him.

The voices are mostly muffled but Thawne thinks he can make out the gist of the conversation between Barry and Iris.

“What are you going to do about him?” Thawne is mostly sure the voice belongs to Iris, but with Barry’s higher pitched voice and the barrier that was the door, he couldn’t be certain.

“Tony’s just a bully. He’ll go away if I don’t give him what he wants.”

“Barry, he insulted your father!” There’s what sounds like a sigh drifting from the room and Thawne feels his heart clench at how desolate it sounds.

“Yes, I know. But, Iris, I’m used to it now. But you believe me, right? About the lightning man?”

“Barry…”

“He exists!”

“Okay, Barry.”

Thawne’s back hits the wall with a gentle thump, and as the conversation goes on Thawne feels his legs collapsing as his slides down into a sitting position. His glasses come off with a swipe of his hands, revealing the brilliant blue eyes, much brighter than Thawne’s own.

_What am I doing?_

He hears a noise from inside that sounds like someone standing up, and the Speed Force is summoned in his veins again in his panic, and he speeds away, the lightning fading mere moments before Barry opens the door and leads Iris out. By the time Barry and Iris are in the main living room, Thawne has smoothed his suit and he stands up from the leisure couch, smiling at the two.

“Ms. West, are you staying for dinner,” Thawne asks pleasantly, not a hint of his earlier mental storm showing on his face. Iris shakes her head.

“Daddy’s picking me up at five. We’re having a family dinner, and then, he’s taking me to see a movie!” She sounds proud and Thawne’s heart sinks a little more. He hasn’t really done much _with_ Barry. Only _for_ him. And from the look on Barry’s face, the kid knows as well.

Thawne plans to change that as well, and he smiles at Barry, hoping he’d understand. Barry echoes the smile toothily and Thawne feels his heart start to lift again.

The rest of the ‘playdate’ plays out with no problems, but Thawne still remembers the conversation about a certain “Tony”, and he planned to ask Barry about it. But in the time being, Thawne just watches over the two, playing with genuine bonds between each other, and waits until five o’clock comes around.

And Joe West is extremely punctual.

“Mr. West,” Thawne greets him, trying to smile. Joe doesn’t even try.

“Dr. Wells,” he addresses him coolly. “Is Iris alright?”

“I couldn’t see why not.” Joe stands up straight and takes a scant step forwards so he’s face to face with Thawne.

“Listen to me, you selfish son of a bitch,” Joe growls lowly, his eyes tracing behind Thawne’s left shoulder to see the kids were still playing, ignorant of their conversation. “Barry needs a real father.”

“Mr. West,” Thawne purrs, “I _am_ a real father to Barry Allen.”

“I’ll be damned before I believe that,” Joe retorts. “You didn’t adopt Barry out of the kindness in your heart. You’re using him for something, _anything_ . And it’s _Detective_ West.”

Thawne’s smile wavers and falls.

“No, _Detective_ West,” Thawne corrects softly, frowning now. “Barry Allen has a father with the intelligence and care he deserves.” He steps backward to give himself space and keeps his fists from clenching unceremoniously. “Now. You and Iris are welcome to my house at any time, detective. If you want to come over, just give me a call.”

Joe growls softly, hearing the dismissal.

“Iris!” He yells into the house. The girl looks up and sprints over to him. Joe hugs her tightly, too tightly, and Thawne sees the silent warning. His eyes narrow. “Let’s go home, eh?”

Barry sprints forwards too and waves at Iris who waves back at him and smiles brightly before Thawne closes the door, using every bit of self-control not to simply slam it closed and tell Barry never to see Iris again.

Perhaps only a few days ago, he would have said it, but seeing the obvious _love_ in Barry’s eyes, Thawne knows he wouldn’t do such a thing.

“Barry...we should eat soon.”

“Can I just get more stuff from Vintage Seven?”

“If you would like. But I’m suggesting we go out. There’s a new Italian place that opened, if you would like to go?”

Barry’s eyes light up. “Can we go?” Thawne smiles down at him and cards through his locks with a chuckle.

“Yes, Barry, we can go.”

They take a simple Toyota to the restaurant in order not to attract too much attention with the limo, and Harrison lets Barry sit in the front. The drive is met with laughter and Barry’s surprisingly good rendition of “Before He Cheats” which happened to come on the radio. Thawne finds himself grudgingly entranced by the young boy, and he once again notices the positive traits the Flash he knows never would have exhibited.

Thawne’s smile is genuine.

They arrive twenty short minutes later, Barry singing through most of them, and Thawne leads him out the car and into the restaurant, ordering a booth for two. The waiter recognizes Wells’ face and he smiles at Thawne.

The restaurant is quiet and dimly lit, a place more expensive and leisurely than a normal eleven year old would want to go. But not Barry. The child charismatically comments on how much he loves the setting. Thawne’s smile, which had faded as he glanced over the menu, slides back on his face.

He orders fried calamari and broccolini with anchovies and garlic for the appetizer and a large penne alla vodka big enough for the two of them, even though Thawne knows he’ll have to order more later during the night to sustain his speedster’s diet.

“Who…” Thawne starts as he forks some pasta in his mouth, “is Tony?”

Barry freezes mid-bite.

“Tony Woodward?

“Yes,” Thawne decides after a pause. “Who is he?” Barry stabs his pasta vengefully and pulls a scowl, which only manages to look adorable to Thawne.

“Just some bully at my school,” he mumbles.

“Well?” Thawne raises an eyebrow. “Tell me about him.”

“H-he said I was a freak like my dad. I told him to stop...and he...he asked if my dad was gonna murder him too.”

Thawne realizes he’s squeezing his fork too tightly seconds later and relieves the tension. He feels an overwhelming sense of protection.

“Tony Woodward…” he says darkly. Thawne commits that name to memory.


	3. A Storm's Beginning

Barry is over at Iris West’s place, and that gives Thawne a little time to begin another little project. It took months of research, but he was from the future, after all. The science in his mind dwarfs what has been discovered as of today, and it doesn’t take much longer after his research to build his first tachyon prototype.

But...he’s made one small adjustment to the device.

As the tachyon prototype latches to his reverse-yellow suit, he feels...energized. As if he could run for hundreds of thousands of miles even though he was crippled in the matters of the Speed Force. And...he... _runs._

Red lightning trails behind him as his body instinctively taps into and generates the Negative Speed Force. He continues running in circles around the Wells estate until he feels something.

Something that feels...natural. It was only a hint, but it’s been so long that Thawne feels the effects as if stomps through his veins, crushing his body.

Positive Speed Force.

Thawne had only been Barry’s ‘father’ for a little under a year, but he could find his old obsession with the Barry Allen he knew from the future returning to his body. Not just that, his affection for the younger Barry Allen proved to grow with each passing day, and to think, if Barry ever were to find out _he_ was Nora Allen’s killer…

He didn’t even want to think about that. But things _could_ align the right way. He just had to be careful.

In order to return to his time, he would have to use Barry’s speed coupled with his own to throw him past the time barrier, but...that would mean revealing himself.

Unless, he were to somehow tap back into the Positive Speed Force, which the tachyon enhancement was aiding in, and that small modification could possibly begin changing what Speed Force his body generated.

He could pass it off as becoming a speedster like Barry when the inevitable particle accelerator failure occurred.

It was a long shot, but it was possible.

The world tears at him as his Negative Speed Force begins to corrupt the Positive Speed Force lancing through his body. He roars as he runs, not realizing he’s crying hot tears of pain until well into his run.

_I loved him then. Why didn’t he accept me?_

 

…

 

Barry Allen is a boy of many talents.

After school, when Thawne picks the boy up, Barry’s smile back is wide and excited. Thawne leads him into the house, and after Barry unpacks, he hands Thawne a sheet of paper.

It’s a sketch of him. Well, a sketch of Harrison Wells. And it’s very good, Thawne admits to himself. He smiles down at Barry and pulls the boy into a gentle embrace.

“Is this for me?” Thawne asks slowly. Barry nods in his arms and squeezes his waist tighter. Thawne’s heart swells at that.

And that’s the part that hurts.

_I’m the one who wounded this boy._

Thawne enters the kitchen as Barry heads for his room and makes himself a cup of coffee. It doesn’t affect him because of his speedster metabolism, but he savors the bitter taste, and as he drinks the brown liquid, he trudges to Barry’s room and leans on the doorframe, watching affectionately as Barry does his homework and turns every now and then to fix him with a warm smile.

_If only he was like this when he was older…I would not have become this._

  

...

 

As Barry sleeps, Thawne leaves the house in despair, leaving a few guards around to confirm Barry’s safety.

He travels to the 24/7 coffee shop, by car of course, and opens his laptop as he arrives, ordering an iced tea as he heads for an empty table.

He’s redesigned the exterior of his laptop, but the processor is still that of the future. So what looks like a simple Mac turns out to be the most powerful piece of machinery of the time. Because it...well... _wasn’t_ of the time.

He sits in a shadowy corner of the already nearly deserted place, and brings up a few pictures.

 

_The Flash - 2016_

_The Flash - 2046_

_Barry Allen - 2010_

 

Thawne’s teeth instinctively bare and his lips instinctively form a snarl as his eyes trace over the first two pictures.

The red suit of a red hero that made him bleed on the inside.

But upon looking at the third picture, he manages to soften his gaze. Because _his_ Barry Allen’s smile is translated into that of his future counterpart. It’s _his_ Barry Allen that his heart swells for, whether as an idol, as a partner, or as his son.

There’s another folder in his sparse collection of images, and he pulls up a portrait of himself when he was sixteen.

Then was when Barry Allen was so near and dear to his heart.

He pulls up another picture, but this one has the final design of his reverse-yellow suit. This was the broken man who was betrayed by his hero.

But things were different. He didn’t have to be Eobard Thawne, Barry Allen’s greatest enemy. He could be Harrison Wells, Barry Allen’s father and it should stay that way.

 _Can I ever see past his actions? Even if it wasn’t_ him _who committed them?_

 

…

 

As the years flew by, Thawne was beginning to forget the injustice and the hatred and the loathing. In his mind’s eye, all he could see was young Barry Allen, sixteen now, and how far he’d come along.

How far _they’d_ come along.

Thawne _was_ his father now, and Barry addressed him as much. And although it had become a normality, Thawne felt nearly faint with a feeling he couldn’t quite put a finger on every single time he heard that word.

Barry was, truly, the most important man in his life, now, and Thawne contemplated his previous feelings of rage.

But, as Barry aged, his attitude began to change. Small changes, perhaps just a rebellious age, but they argued. Quite a lot. And Barry could be _quite_ hurtful, and it often reminded Thawne of the _other_ Barry Allen.

And it was happening right now.

“How was your day, Barry?” Thawne asks, raising his eyebrows as he lowers his newspaper.

“It was great, dad,” Barry says dismissively, throwing his backpack down.

“Anything special?”

Barry sighs. “No.” And then it was Thawne’s turn to sigh. He stands up and sips his water before setting it down on the table.

“Barry, you haven’t truly talked to me in a while,” Thawne murmurs, almost to himself. “Why don’t you just sit down and have a conversation with me?”

Barry shakes his head.

“I have homework.” He starts to his room without even sparing Thawne another look. It was this that triggers his defence mechanisms.

“Get back here!” Thawne roars. Perhaps the first time ever. Barry freezes in his tracks and whirls around.

“What was that?” Barry snaps. “I have homework! I can’t entertain you all night long.”

And that transported Thawne back to when he was just a young speedster overcome with idolization and was rebuffed by the scarlet speedster.

“That was an order,” Thawne hisses, his voice low.

When Barry glares back at him, the gaze is filled with rage and adolescent anger, unjustified and piercing.

That was Thawne’s first queue something bad was about to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BEFORE YOU SAY IT: yes, this chapter is short and late. 
> 
> Life is kicking me right now, and kicking me hard. Finals, the season finale, and other family problems are keeping me from writing ^-^.
> 
> But from now on the updates should be consistent (I hope)


	4. Eye of the Storm

The conclusion to that argument was how it always was. Once, twice, three times, every day.

It's a routine. Barry Allen had changed from the young, innocent, trusting boy who sat before him, and Thawne barely registers until the storm hit, and that was when the arguments began.

The problem was, Thawne looses control. The arguments could have been passed off as any other teenage phase, but Thawne sees the  _Flash_ _'s_ malicious eyes, staring him down, daring him to come closer, challenging him. 

And each time they argued, Thawne feels more and more of his control slip.

It always started with a pointless problem, Barry would neglect him, Thawne would request his attention, and Barry would say something that would cause Thawne's defense mechanism to flare. It's a problem, a huge one, and Thawne often feels lost subsequent to their arguments. He actually has a picture of Barry in his wallet, the younger Barry, and often finds himself looking at it, wondering where that sweet little boy went. 

But...he finds he still loved this Barry.

More and more, he found himself to feel like Barry's true father, and he wonders if it was ever any other way. When Barry addresses him as "dad", it feels  _right_. When he addresses Barry as "son", it feels  _right_. 

Perhaps it was the arguments too that made his relationship with Barry nearly unshakable."I want to visit him." 

Nearly two weeks passed after that night, though, and they went by relatively peacefully. Thawne thinks that things have finally gone back to normal until Barry asks the question.

"I want to visit him." 

Thawne looks up from his computer, managing to put a questioning look on his face, yet the only thing he was wondering was why the question didn't ever pop up before. 

"Visit who, Barry?"

"Henry." Thawne notices Barry doesn't address Henry as "dad", and a flash of gratitude floods through him. It's greedy, he knows, but he doesn't care. This Barry Allen was  _his_. 

"If you're certain," Thawne says slowly. He might have imagined this moment happening a million times, but he never quite found a proper response to that question. "I can take you tomorrow."

Barry nods and gives him a weak smile before retreating back into his bedroom. But Thawne still has to wonder... _what triggered this sudden request?_ He doesn't have time to worry, though. He has to find a way to calm his nerves before he sees Henry Allen again. Thawne leans back in his chair and takes a pensive sip of his coffee, wondering how he can deal with the guilt. It is different than before, now. He killed Nora to hurt Barry Allen, and yet if he loved the boy...

 _Henry_.

He had to get Henry out of prison, some way or another. 

 

That night at dinner, Barry can't look him in the eye and Thawne finds himself panicking in the slightest.

 

...

 

Thawne manages to quiet his nerves as the limousine takes him and Barry to Iron Heights. How will he face this man now? Now that he loves Barry Allen? 

Yet when he accompanies Barry over to see Henry, he finds the old hatred is back, seeing Barry's malice etched onto Henry's face, whether or not it was actually there. 

"Hello, Henry," Barry says after a long moment of silence, minutes after both of them had picked up the phone. Thawne is surprised to hear Barry's voice is cracked. He watches helplessly as Barry fights a tear. "Hi, dad." 

A wave a resentment hits him, but it shouldn't be there. Henry was his father, after all. 

"Hey, Barry," Henry responds, seemingly cheerful despite his unfair, undeserved position. Thawne recognizes he does that for Barry. To keep him thinking that everything will be okay. 

"I-"

"It's okay, son. I understand." Henry's chuckle is pained, although only Thawne can hear that. Because it's not in his voice. It's in the verberations and the very  _vibrations_ of his speech. Barry cannot hear that yet. 

"No, it's that I didn't want to see you," Barry says hurriedly. He swallows. "I just-"

"It's okay," Henry interjects once more. Thawne can hear the words behind those.  _It's alright Barry. I understand you couldn't see me, and I don't blame you. I didn't_ want  _you to see me. Not in this state. I forgive you. What happened, it wasn't your fault._

But Barry didn't understand yet. He didn't realize Henry's meaning. 

"Dad-"

"Son, look at me." Barry's eyes are red as he finally meets Henry's eyes. "No one should ever have to see their father this way. In prison. Please, Barry. Promise me you'll live a happy life."

Barry's hand balls into a fist and he slams it into the counter so loudly even Thawne jumps. 

"I'll get you out of here," he promises. "I promise you. I will get you out of this prison."

_I'm glad we're on the same page, then._

 

 

...

 

It takes Thawne five years to plan everything out. Five years until S.T.A.R. Labs is ready, destined to fail before it even began. 

Barry only visits Henry two times after the first - the kid can't bring himself to return, ridden with guilt and terror, but Thawne hatched a plan for them to get Henry out while Barry built anger, anger Thawne could use to his benefit. 

Thawne lets Barry stand next to him as he gives the order to turn on the particle accelerator, and he leads Barry away when it turns on. The lightning strikes only Barry, but Thawne collapses to the floor, injecting himself with a drug that would put him in a coma for nine monthes.

 

...

 

It's Cisco and Caitlin's face Thawne sees first, and he quickly turns his head to see Barry waking next to him.

_Brilliant green admist the darkness._

"Dr. Wells? Can you hear me?" 

Thawne leans over and blinks at Caitlin who tentatively smiles at him. Thawne stares back. "I hear you. What happened, Dr. Snow?"

"You were in a coma. For nine monthes." Thawne nods, grimacing slightly. He turns to look at Barry, who Cisco is talking to. He knows, now, that he has to speed up the process of getting Barry to understand his new powers. As he tries to lean forwards, he taps into the Speed Force and he sits up in a flash. Barry's eyes instinctively jerk towards the flash of  _yellow_ lightning that appears behind Thawne.

Thawne manages to keep a face of surprise and Barry turns to him. As Barry tries to lean forwards as well, lightning of his own appears behind him.

"We're fast..." Barry manages through a hazy tone.

Thawne shakes his head.  _We're Gods._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I guess I will have to create some leniency, at least until June 17th when I can fully commit to writing this. Thanks for bearing with me and reading!


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